[07/02/09 - 11:39 AM]ABC Improves Its Wednesday Performance Year to Year Among Viewers and Young AdultsABC spins the numbers for Wednesday, July 1.

[via press release from ABC]

Quick Take for Wednesday, July 1, 2009
(Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

For the 4th Consecutive Week, ABC Improves its Wednesday Performance Year to Year Among Viewers and Young Adults

"Wipeout" is No. 1 at 8pm in Total Viewers for the 3rd Week in a Row and
Wins its Time Slot for the 6th Week Running Across the Key Men Demos

"Wipeout" Grows Week to Week in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54

The Season Opener of ABC News' "Primetime: Crime" Equals the Network's
Top Numbers in the Slot this Summer in Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49

Wednesday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

Surging from the year-ago night (7/2/08) by nearly 1 million viewers (5.4 million 4.5 million) and 20% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/5 vs. 1.5/5), ABC improved its Wednesday numbers year to year for the 4th consecutive week.

"Wipeout" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Outdrawing its closest competitor by half-a-million viewers (7.8 million vs. 7.3 million - Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance"), ABC's "Wipeout" finished No. 1 during Wednesday's 8 o'clock hour with Total Viewers for the 3rd week in a row. And for the 6th consecutive week (every telecast this summer), the ABC unscripted series won its time slot across all key Men demos (M18-34 - 1.7/8, M18-49 - 2.4/9 and M25-54 - 2.8/10). In fact it was Wednesday's No. 1 TV program with Men 18-34 (tie) and Men 18-49.

* "Wipeout" increased its numbers week to week in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54.

"Primetime: Crime" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

Building on its lead-in at 10:00 p.m. among Viewers and Women, the season premiere of ABC News' "Primetime: Crime" beat NBC's "The Philanthropist" in the hour across the Women demos, finishing No. 1 with Women 18-34 (1.3/4) and second with Women 18-49 (1.9/6) and Women 25-54 (2.3/6).

* The ABC newsmagazine equaled the Net's highest numbers in the hour this summer with Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 32% currently, from 25% at the same point in 2008. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Program Ratings), 7/1/09.